State Negotiations on Welfare Reform

Re “State Welfare Negotiations: More Than the Bottom Line,” editorial, July 10:

Wake up! The year is 1997. It is very reasonable for someone to find and secure appropriate employment in a one-year period. Gov. Pete Wilson’s plan to emphasize a “back to work” attitude is appropriate and just. Welfare rolls are shrinking around the country because recipients are being told to find work instead of having employment opportunities find them.

The issue of mothers securing appropriate day care is of the utmost importance to the governor. How do most working women who take time off for childbirth survive? They find appropriate care while balancing their professional responsibilities with their personal lives. If there are not enough slots for welfare recipients’ children, why not champion a program matching welfare recipients with jobs in newly created day care programs?

I support the governor’s plan. We must try different ideas to clean up a program that has been exploiting our tax dollars for much too long.

BARCLAY FERGUSON

Hermosa Beach

The approach to politics described in George Skelton’s July 10 Capitol Journal, “Democrats Pitch to GOP’s Strengths in Welfare Game,” is a disservice not only to the 30% of California children living in poverty, but also to our economic future. Playing political games with children in order to win votes should have gone out of style a long time ago. The economic future of the state depends on making all of our children competitive in a world economy. This means prosperity for poor children, and the consumer-driven economy we all live in.

Politicians should take time away from power politics and spend an afternoon speaking to the children who are growing up in poverty and face a bleak future. Maybe then we will see articles that condemn politicians who use children to win votes.

CHRIS CORREA

Rancho Palos Verdes